Apparatus for lighting railway-cars by electricity



BEST AVAILABLE cop" 1. A. TIMMIS & s. 0. 0. 011111113 APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING RAILWAY CARS BY ELECTRICITY. No. 383,502.

(No Model.)

INVENTOR.

Patented May 29, 1888.

WITNESSES. i

v To all-whom it may colwerfi:

BEST AVAILABLE cor- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ILLIUS AUGUSTUS 'IIM-MIS AND STANLEY G. GURRIE, OF LONDON,

' COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX, EXGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING RAILWAY-CARS BY ELECTRICITY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.383.502, dated May 29. 1888.

Application filed July 29, 1887.

mm st eam. 4m model.)

Be t known that we, Inmus Aucusrus Tmms and Smnu'ar (humus Cu'rnnnn'r CUnnII-Lboth subjects of the Queen of Great Brltaim'residing at London, in the county of MiddleseX, England, jointly have invented certain new aiid'useful Improvements in Apparatus for Lighting RailwayCars by Electricity, ofwhich improvements thefollowiug is-a specification.

p The objects of our llll'CltlblOll are to provide an economical, effective, and simple system of lighting railway-cars,- by which the lights can be controlled at-will, either bythe engineer, guard, or brakeman, and whether the cars are coupled to the locomotive or separate from each other. These ends we attain by mount- -1ng a dynamo or generator on a locomotiv.eengine, but driving it independently thereof, e ther by a separatecngiue or by steamdcrived therefrom. A charging-circuit leads from this generator to the various cars of the train, being provided with automatically-detachable couplin which are disconnected by the separation 01 the various cars of the train, and automaticallyconuected when the cars are coupled together. Each car is provided with a secondary battery intended to remain permanent-lyin the car and to be charged from the generator, all these batteries being connected in multiple arc in the charging-circuit, so that any inequality in their condition would soon be equalized, as the one ful!y charged would offer more resistance to the chargingcurrentthan the one lcss cha'rgcd, which latter would consequently receive the greater proportion ofthe current unt il properly charged. The lamps in each carriage are arranged in multiple are, connected at each side of the secondary battery, so that when the generator is working they may take part of the current while the battery at the sametimc is being charged.

, A circuit-controlling device or switch in the circuit between the battery and lamps in each car is controlled by an electric-magnet or other suitable dev'ce in a-controlling-circuit which normally hol s the lamp-circuit closed-that is to say, the lamps remain lighted when no current is passing through the controllin magnet. We prefer to arrange these contro ling-magnets in. multiple arc, and that theyv should automatically switch in resistances when their armatures are home, thus economizing current, and at the same time allowing extra. current for any particular. magnet which may beslugg ish inaction. The con.- trolling-circuit can be. opcncdby-a circuitcontrolling switch on the locomotive, which at once releases all the circuit-closing armaturcs in the car and allows the lamps to be lighted. The controlling-circuit may also be regulated by an ordinary switchin thecar itsel.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a theoretical diagram of an apparatus embodying all our improvements, some of which maybe used without the others, and in ap'paratusdiflering somewhat in detailot' constructionfrom that herein shown. is an elevation of the controlling-magnet, re-i sistances, and circuit-connections. Fig. .3 is, a side view of the automatic couplings of the circuit-wires, and Fig. 4 is a top view of the same. I The diagram, Fig. 1, represents a locomoti ve and two cars,these being sulllcient to illustrate the invention. It is deemed unnecessary to describe in detail the construction of the apparatus herein referred to, as it is of usual well-known construction, the invention heroinclaimed not resting on such detail- A dynamo or generator, A, mounted upon the locomotive, but driven by its own special engine X, supplies the current to a chargingcircuit, the wires 1 and 2 of which run the whole length of the-train, being provided with suitable couplings or connections, :v, between the cars to permit of their ready connectionor disconnect-ion when tlie'cars are separated or united. Each car is provided with a second-- ary or storage battery, B B, connected with the charging-circuitin multiple arc. Groups of lamps C C are likewise arranged in multiple arc circuit, the terminals of which are connccted at. opposite sides of the storage-battery. An armature or switch lever, c, in the lamp- -circuit serves to open and close it. The st orage-battcry chargingcircuit remains pcrmanently closed when thedynaino is running. It may be opened by a switch, (1, when the dynamo is t rest.

.35 terminates in contact-arms hold them .cal connection In order to control the lamp circuit automatically, a controllingeircuit, 3, from the generator is provided with electro-magnets D, preferably in multiple are, as shown, which act upon the switch-levers or armatures c and open when lamps are not required to belighted.

- Fig. 2 shows .the electro-magnets on an enlarged scale and the preferred way of running the circuits, The circuit-wire 2 from the dynainc is electrically connected with a metallic plate, -e, secured the end of the armature-lever c, The circuit first runs from plate e'to spring contact-finger g, to coils of electro-magnet D,-and thence through switch. 0 to circuit-wire 3. Tire electro-magnet, being energized, will attract the armature c and break the electrical connection between e and but at the same time electriis made between the plate e and the spring contact-finger h The circuit then runs from plate 6 to contact-finger h through resistance R and coils of electro-magnet D to circuit-wire 3. The armature is held normally raised-by a spring, 5. It should be observed that the initial current is of full'strength and energizes. the electro-magnet with sulficient power to draw the armature home; but thenthe circuit is shifted through a resist anee, thus diminishing the consumption of currentwhile permitting a snfiicient current to flow to hold the armature home,itbeing well understood that a much weaker current will hold the armature home than isjrequired to attract it from a distance. The lamp-circuit y and z'. p The arm I y is carried on the'insnlating-block f onthe end of the armature c, and the arm :2 is secured to the frame of the apparatus in such a position that when the armature is raised the arms will a make electrical contact and the lamp=circuit separate coupling-fingers,

will be closed. \Vhen the armature is drawn home, the lamp-circuit is broken.

A switch, d, on the engine enables the engineer or attendant there to open and close the ccntrolling-cirouitand'thus light or extinguish all the lamps at will. The circn'itin each car may be opened and closed by switch a.

We prefer to use one of the chargingconductors asthe retnrnwire for the controlling,

circuit, as this enables us to do the work required with three wires instead of four. The controllingcircuit is also provided with disconnecting couplings between the cars, as heretofore explained.

We preferably employ a coupling for the charging and controlling circuits, such as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings. As illustrated, the three wires are run to three m n o, mounted in a head-piece, M, and are suitably insulated from each o her. The fingers are arranged in a vertical plane one above another, and are beveled at their outer ends; so as to readily unite with corresponding fingers, p g r, on the opposite head-hloolc, M. Springs 8 on the sides of .lings will always correspond,however the cars to an insulating-bloek,f, on

.BEST AVAILABLE COP vertical plane, there is no dangerof mixing the circuits in coupling. For instance, if the top fingers be selected for charging. wire bio. l, the bottom fingers for No -2, and the middle fingers for controlling wire No. 3,'the coupmay be'arranged.

In operation we obtain a steady chargingcurrent from the generator, irrespective of the stopping or starting of the train, which current we utilize in charging the secondary hatteries, whether the lights are in use or not.

. When usin'gthe lights, they may be thus run partly from the generator and partly from secondary batteries, or from the secondary batterles'alone. 'As before explained, thecontrolling-circuit holds the lamp-circuit automatically opened, when desired, and thus keeps thelamps unlighted. By this means it willbe seen that all the sccondary batteries, being in multiple arc and at the same time on the lighting-circuits, act as one large-battery from which each lamp-circuit is supplied.- Thus, supposing some of the batteries are not as fully charged asothers, provided the mam circuit-wires are sufficiently large the lamps throughout the whole train will be supplied from all the batteries acting as one. Thus, in the event of any particular set of cells. being empty, the .lamps in that particular car will not necessarily be affected, for each and every-16 lamp is dependent upon the sum total or united force of all the batteries. When' the cars are separated, the lighis are fed from the secondary batteries alone, so that n no-case, under our system, is a car necessarily left unlighted. The lights can also be controlled by hand by means of switches c in the lamp-circuit in each car.

We are thus by our improvements enabled to procure a steady charging-current, to avoid the necessity of removing and replacing the secondary batteries, tocontrol the lighting from the engine or from any other part of the train, and to keep the lights bu miug, whether the cars be coupled together or detached.

We are aware that it has heretofore been proposed to light railway-trains either by a generator driven independently or from some moving part of the train. -We are also aware that electric lights have been used.in mu l.- tiple-arc circuits and in connection with storage-batteries and circuit-controlling devices for lighting or extinguishing them, and do not broadly claim these features, but limit our claims to the subject-matter set forth in the claims.

Having thus fully described the construction and o'p'eration of .our improved apparatus for lighting railway-cars by electricity, what we jointly claim as'our invention, and desire to a scare by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The combination, substantially as hereseason inbefore set forth, of an independently-driven dynamo or generator of electricity mounted upon' a locomotive, an electric charging-circuit running from the generator through all 5 the cars, a secondary battery in each car and in said circuit, lamps in the car in multiplearc circuit with the charging-circuit and secondary battery, and a circnit-controlling device which simultaneously cuts out and lets in both the generator and storage-battery.'

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of an independently-driven dynamo or generator of electricity mounted upon a locomotive, an electric charging-cir- 5 cuit running from the generator through all the cars, a secondary battery in each chr'andin said circuit, lamps in the car inmnltiplearc circuit-with the charging-circuit andsecondary batte'ry,'an 'electro-niagnetic circuit-- f-aocuit, Iam'psin each car, also in mnltipfe are with said cireuit and secondary battery, 3. ciri quit-controlling device which holds the lamps rent of; circuitin an independent circuit, and

BEST AVAILABLE COP detachable circuit-connections ucuveen the cars, whereby the lamps are automatically lighted by the separation of the ears and the consequent breaking of the circuit.

'4. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore, set forth, of a train of cars carrying secondary batteries, a generator and a charging-circuit, and, lamps all in multiple arc in the same charging-circuit with the secondary batteries, so that any inequality in condition of the" storage-batteries is rapidly compensated when the train is coupled n'p.-.

5. The combination, substantially as hereinbeiore setiortb, of the generator, the charging-circnit, the storage-batteries and lamps in multiple arc in the chargi ng-circuit, their electro-magnet circuit-controllers, the actuating.

mechanisriithereof, and a controlling-circuit I of which one of the charging-wires constitutes a portion. i v In testimony whercofwe haveherenuto subscribed our names.

ILLIIIS AUGUSTUS TIMMIS. ST ANLEY (-v- C. CUR-RIB.

Witnesses to signature of I. A; Timmis:

Ton. G. Rmowar, Not. Pub., 5 l-iaterloo Place.

AMBROSE FISH, Notarys Ulerk, 5 Waterloo Place, 8. W.

V Witnesses to signature of S. G. 0. Carrie:

JOHN H. GEIL, -Tnos. J. HUNT.. 

